Fruit jar holdr



July 14, 1942. E. R. HANSON FRUIT JAR HOLDER 2 Sheds-Sheet 1 Filed July17, 1941 0 O OIO IIO M n 0 m ||||I||| .||||l| 8 W. w .3 -w\ 12. H W R wl July 14, 1942.

. E. R. HANSON 2,289,648

FRUIT JAR HOLDER Filed Jul y 17, 1941 1 2 She ets-Sheet 2 Q E ZLHaman INVEN TOR.

BY M

Patented July 14, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRUIT JAR HOLDER EmilRichard Hanson, Grantsburg, Wis. Application July 17, 1941, Serial No.402,865

' (o1. s1-s.s2)

3 Claims.

This invention aims to provide a means whereby fruit jars and the like,may be held whilst the closure of the jars is being threaded off, thedevice being capable of accommodating jars of different diameters,without breaking any of them. A further object of the invention is toprovide novel means for actuating the slidable jaw. A further object ofthe invention is to provide novel'means for holding a cooperating jaw inadjusted positions.

The invention aims, further, to provide a device of the class described,in which the parts cooperate to reinforce each other, a simple butunusually strong construction resulting.

It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and toenhance the utility of devices of that type to which the presentinvention appertains.

With the above and other objects in View, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made within thescope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the device;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation and Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view online 5-5 of Fig. 4.

For convenience in describing the relative location of parts that end ofthe frame to which the letter A is applied will be considered as thefront end. The frame includes a horizontal base I,

- preferably of rectangular outline and generally made of wood, the basebeing adapted to be held by a clamp (not shown) on a table or other workplace. Near one end, the base I is supplied with an upstanding stop lug2. A vertical bracket 3 is secured to the base I, a little in advance ofthe stop lug 2, and preferably is made of wood.

Upstanding metal wings 4 are secured to the outer edges of the base Iand to the ends of the bracket 3. The parts 3 and 4 reinforce eachother. The wings 4 are provided in their upper edges with vertical slits5, spaced apart longitudinally of the base I.

Jaw blocks, preferably of wood, are provided, and a first jaw block 6 islocated between the wings 4 .and rests on the base I. A retaining plateI is secured to the rear surface of the jaw block 6 and projectsslightly beyond the ends of the jaw block, so that the terminal portionsof the retaining plate may be received in any of the slits 5. At itsouter ends, the retaining plate I is provided with rectangularlydisposed flanges 8, the flanges overlapping the outer surfaces of thewings 4 and preventing the wings from springing outwardly. The wings 4are disposed closely adjacent to the end surfaces of the first jaw block6, and there is small chance that the wings will be bent inwardly.

Guide plates 9 are secured to the edges of the base I, near the frontend of the base. The guide plates 9 are supplied with inwardlyprojecting, rectangular flanges I0.

A second jaw block II is mounted for reciprocation on the base I,between the guide plates 9, and is provided in its ends with grooves I2,receiving the flanges I II of the guide plates 9. Thus, the jaw block IIis held down on the base I, for reciprocation toward and away from thejaw block 6.

A reinforcing cross piece I4 is secured by attaching elements II to therear surface of the jaw block I I. The jaw blocks 6 and I I preferablyare made of wood, as is the base I. The cross piece I4 strengthens thejaw block II, and the retaining plate I strengthens the jaw blocks 6.Slotted latches I5 are mounted to swing on the attaching elements I'I.

The ends of the cross piece or strap I4 extend outwardly beyond the endsof the jaw block II, and are provided with openings I8, whereinoperating rods I9 are received. Tubular nuts 20 are threaded on thefront ends of the rods I9 and are equipped at their rear ends withannular heads 2I. The ends of the strap I4 abut against the rearsurfaces of the heads 2| of the nuts 20. The latches I5 can be swungdownwardly, until the latches straddle the nuts 20, in front of theheads 2|. Thus, the jaw block II is operatively assembled with the rodsI9.

If it be desired to take off the jaw block II, the latches I5 are swunginwardly, [clear of the nuts 20, the nuts are threaded off the rods I9,and the jaw block II can be slid forwardly, off the flanges I0 of theguide plates 9.

A forked lever 22 is provided, and the forward ends of the operatingrods I9 are pivotally mounted in the arms of the lever 22. The arms ofthe lever 22 overlap the outer surfaces of the Wings 4, the lever beingmounted to swing vertically on fulcrum elements 23, such as screws,.passing inwardly through the wings 4, into the end cfthe bracket 3. Theintermediate or rear portion of the lever 22 is equipped with a handle24, and when the lever is swung downwardly, the handle comes intocontact with the stop lug 2, the pivotal mounting of the rear ends ofthe rods IS in the side .arms of the lever being located below thefulcrum elements 23, and, therefore, the lever cannot swing upwardly,unless it is moved upwardly by hand.

The inner surfaces of the jaw blocks 6 and H are supplied with arcuaterecesses 25, in which are located thick cushions 26, preferably made ofsponge rubber. The ends of the cushions 26 overlap the adjacent surfacesof the jaw blocks 6 and II, at the outer ends of the jaw blocks. Washerplates 27 overlap the ends of the cushions 26. Securing elements 28 passthrough the washer plates 2'! and through the ends of the cushions, intothe jaw blocks 6 and II, the cushions thus being held in place securely:although, if desired, the cushions 26 can be cemented into the recesses25 of the jaw blocks, without change in the showing of the drawings. Thewasher plates 2'? are notched, as shown at 29, to accommodate theflanges In of the guide plates 9, when the movable jaw l l isreciprocated, and a metalto-metal contact is afforded.

The jaw block II is reciprocated by means of the rods i9 and the lever22. The fruit jar to be opened is clamped tightly between the cushions28. Different sized jars may be accommodated by inserting the endportions of the retaining ,plate I in the selected ones of the slits orseats 5 in the wings 4. The cushions 26 are thick enough and resilientenough to accommodate and hold different diametered fruit jars, withoutdanger of breaking. When the fruit jar thus is held, the cap may bethreaded off by means of a wrench or other tool forming no part of thepresent application, and not shown.

The device is simple in construction, but will be found thoroughlyadvantageous for the ends in view.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a jar holder, a frame including a base, a normally stationary jawon the base, a jaw slidable on the base, toward and away from thestationary jaw, a strap on the forward surface of the slidable jaw, theends of the strap projecting beyond the ends of the slidable jaw,attaching elements connecting the strap with the slidable jaw, operatingmembers having their forward ends extended through the ends of thestrap, nuts threaded on the forward ends of the operating members andengaging the forward surface of the strap, latches pivoted on theattaching elements and engaging the nuts to prevent them from backingoff the operating members, and a lever fulcrumed on the frame, the rearends of the operating members being assembled pivotal'ly with the lever.

2. In a jar holder, a frame including a base, a normally stationary jawon the base, a jaw slidable forwardly and backwardly on the base, towardand away from the stationary jaw, the slidable jaw being made of softmaterial, typically represented by wood, and having grooves in its ends,metal guide plates secured to the base and having inwardly extendedflanges received in the grooves, a cushion on the working base of theslidable jaw, metal washer plates on the forward surface of the cushion,at the ends thereof securing elements passing through the washer platesand entering the slidable jaw, the washer plates having notchesreceiving the flanges and affording a metal-to-metal sliding connectionbetween the slidable jaw and the guide plates, and means for operatingthe slidable jaw with respect to the stationary jaw.

3. In a jar holder, a frame comprising a base, an upstanding bracket onthe base, wings secured to the ends of the bracket and to the outeredges of the base, the wings having slits in their upper edges, a firstjaw on the base and fitting closely between the wings, to prevent themfrom bending inwardly, a cross piece secured to the rear surface of thefirst jaw and including extensions removably lodged in the slits, theextensions having flanges engaging the outer surfaces of the wings,toprevent them from bending outwardly, a movable jaw carried by theframe, and means for operating the movable jaw forwardly and backwardlywith respect to the first jaw.

EMIL RICHARD HANSON.

